It is generally believed that there exists a need for some degree of remote monitoring of locations. In particular, this belief has become stronger following the events of Sep. 11, 2001 in the United States. In addition, there is a general utility in, and a need for, a system which enables real-time, delayed, or pre-recorded information to be exchanged between remote locations. Systems exist which address some of these needs, such as audio/visual monitoring of public places for security reasons, but otherwise do not simultaneously provide additional services, such as public communication with the internet. There is therefore a need for a very general and flexible transmission and reception system for security and information exchange.